A variety of packages, including dispensing packages or containers, have been developed for dispensing beverages, fluent food products, personal care products such as shampoo, lotion, etc., as well as other materials. Such containers typically have an open upper end on which is mounted a dispensing end structure which may be a unitary part of the container or a separate closure that is releasably or permanently mounted to the container.
One type of dispensing end structure used with these kinds of containers has a flexible, pressure-openable, self-sealing, slit-type dispensing valve mounted in the end structure over the container opening. The term “pressure-openable” refers to a valve which opens when a sufficient pressure differential is applied across the valve (e.g., as by increasing the pressure on one side and/or decreasing the pressure on the other side). Such a valve is typically used on a container which has a flexible, but resilient, wall or walls. When the container is squeezed, the pressure inside the container increases. This causes the valve slit or slits to open, and the fluid contents of the container are discharged through the open valve. Typically, the valve automatically closes to shut off fluid flow therethrough upon removal of the increased pressure—even if the container is inverted so that the closed valve is subjected to the weight of the contents within the container. Designs of such valves are illustrated in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,271,531, 5,033,655, and 4,931,775.
When a separate end closure is employed for attachment to the container, the closure typically includes a body mounted on the container to hold the valve over the container opening. A lid can be provided for engaging the closure body to cover the valve during shipping and when the container is otherwise not in use. See, for example, FIGS. 31–34 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,271,531. Such a lid can be designed to prevent leakage from the valve under certain conditions. The lid can also keep dust and dirt from the valve and/or can protect the valve from damage.
The inventors of the present invention have determined that it would be advantageous to provide a new type of dispensing valve in, or as part of, a dispensing end structure or closure that can provide certain operational advantages. It would be particularly beneficial to provide such a new type of valve with the capability for dispensing a product in a relatively wide configuration, such as in a plurality of separate side-by-side discharge streams or in a single wide discharge stream that would be especially suitable for a spreadable product discharged in a wide ribbon configuration, thereby eliminating, or at least minimizing, the need to use an implement to spread the product.
It would also be desirable to optionally provide such an improved valve with the capability for permitting in-venting of ambient atmosphere after dispensing product from a squeezable, resilient container on which the valve is mounted.
Such an improved valve could also have the capability for effecting a seal between the atmosphere and the product when the valve is closed so as to protect the product from contamination and/or dehydration.
Further, it would be beneficial if such an improved dispensing valve could function as a part of a closure that does not necessarily require the use of a lid.
It would also be desirable to provide a valve which could allow the user to invert the package (consisting of the container, product in the container, and valve on the container) without product leakage, thereby providing the user with more control over the product dispensing operation.
It would also be desirable to provide an improved dispensing valve that could dispense product at a relatively high flow rate compared to conventional valves of similar size.
It would also be beneficial if such an improved dispensing valve could be readily retained in a closure that could optionally accommodate the employment of an ancillary lid and/or frangible, tamper-evident cover or tear band.
An improved dispensing valve should also accommodate designs which permit incorporation of the valve as a unitary part, or extension, of the container as well as designs that separately mount the dispensing system (e.g., separate closure) on the container in a removable or non-removable manner.
It would also be beneficial if such an improved dispensing valve could readily accommodate its manufacture from a variety of different materials.
Further, it would be desirable if such an improved dispensing valve could be provided with a design that would accommodate efficient, high-quality, large volume manufacturing techniques with a reduced product reject rate.
Preferably, the design of the improved dispensing valve should also accommodate high-speed manufacturing techniques that can produce such valves with consistent operating characteristics unit-to-unit with high reliability.
The present invention provides an improved dispensing valve which can accommodate designs having the above-discussed benefits and features.